Bubblegum is the only app we found with lessons in the English spoken in New Zealand. Other English apps teach American or British English, and uTalk sells several English varieties but has no New Zealand English course. The rest of your New Zealand English comes from people, so this page also covers apps that connect you with them. For free classes in New Zealand and local news, read our Best Ways to Learn New Zealand English.
New Zealand English uses British-style spelling, some words of its own, and many Māori words. The grammar is the English you may already know.
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn New Zealand English. You learn from New Zealand English you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
Tell Poppy, your AI tutor, your level and what you like, and she writes your New Zealand English lessons. If a sentence is hard to follow, ask Poppy to explain it.
With Regenerative Review™, words you save show up again in new lessons, so that you can review words in new contexts without having to use flashcards.
Ask Poppy why a is a small shop and not a farm.
- Lessons are in New Zealand English, read aloud by voices chosen for Auckland English.
- Lessons spell colour, centre, and organise the New Zealand way, use New Zealand dollars and metric measures, and keep Māori words spelled with macrons.
- Regenerative Review™ brings saved words back in new lessons, and you can export them to Anki.
- Clear, expressive AI voices read every lesson aloud, with a different voice for each speaker.
- The voices are chosen for Auckland English, so lessons don't cover accents from other regions.
- Custom lessons cost us money to make, so you need Bubblegum Pro for unlimited custom lessons. Lessons Poppy wrote for other learners are free for everyone to read.
- Regenerative Review™
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Preply
On Preply you pick the tutor, so you pick the accent. Ask for practice with the chats you expect, like renting a flat or a phone call to your employer.
- Filter English tutors by country of birth.
- Watch a tutor's intro video before you book.
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italki
Tell your teacher which city you're moving to, so the examples fit your life there.
- Filter English teachers by where they're from.
- Book one-to-one video lessons.
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Tandem
You hear everyday talk from a real person, but nobody sets a lesson plan for you.
- Tandem has a page for English in Auckland.
- Trade voice notes, or talk over video.
MobileWeb
Other Apps We Looked At (1)
- HelloTalkChat by text, voice, or video with language partners in New Zealand.
Rosetta Stone teaches American and British English, while Drops and Memrise teach British English. None of their pages mention New Zealand English. Use them for general English, and add Bubblegum or a person from New Zealand for local words, Māori words, and the accent.
| App | Free? | What's Free |
|---|---|---|
| Bubblegum | Free version | Custom lessons cost us money to make, so you need Bubblegum Pro for unlimited custom lessons. Lessons Poppy wrote for other learners are free for everyone to read. |
| Preply | Paid | You pay for each lesson, and each tutor sets their own price. If your first tutor isn't a good fit, you can try two more for free. |
| italki | Paid | You pay for each lesson, and each teacher sets their own price. Practicing with the community and taking the level test are free. |
| Tandem | Free version | Signing up is free, and Tandem reviews each new member first. Many features are free, and Tandem Pro gives you all of them. |
| HelloTalk | Free version | Chatting with language partners is free. HelloTalk VIP removes ads and adds unlimited translations and more new partners each day. |
Try one lesson in your language before you pay.
| App | Languages You Can Use It In | Full List |
|---|---|---|
| Bubblegum | 76 | Supported language pairs |
| Preply | 19 | App Store |
| italki | 19 | App Store |
| Tandem | 14 | App Store |
| HelloTalk | 16 | App Store |
Which New Zealand English app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning New Zealand English, start with Bubblegum. Poppy, your AI tutor, writes lessons at your level about things you like. Or book a tutor on Preply or italki if you'd like to practice speaking with someone from New Zealand from day one.
Which accent will I hear in each app?
Bubblegum uses voices chosen for Auckland English. Rosetta Stone, Drops, and Memrise teach American or British English, and with Preply, italki, Tandem, or HelloTalk you hear your tutor's or partner's accent.
Is Bubblegum free?
Yes. Lessons Poppy wrote for other learners are free for everyone to read. Custom lessons cost us money to make, so you need Bubblegum Pro for unlimited custom lessons.
Sources
- Bubblegum: New Zealand English
- uTalk: English courses in the store (no New Zealand English course)
- Preply: English tutors (country of birth filter, New Zealand)
- italki: English teachers (Teachers from filter)
- Tandem: Learn English in Auckland
- HelloTalk: language partners in New Zealand
- Rosetta Stone: Learn English (American or British English)
- Drops: Learn British English
- Memrise: British English course
- English New Zealand: An International Student's Guide to Kiwi Slang
- italki: what's free
- Tandem: what's free
- HelloTalk: what's free
- Preply: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- italki: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- Tandem: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- HelloTalk: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
